Mark Leonard Kilsby

Services for Mark Leonard Kilsby, 67, of Tyler, Texas, will be held on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at Stewart Family Funeral Home with Pastor Mike Prescott officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Lawn Cemetery in Tyler under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Mr. Kilsby passed away Thursday, August 17, 2023 peacefully in his sleep. He was born December 22, 1955 in Pleasant Hill, Louisiana and was adopted by Leonard Allen and Crystal Faye Jackson Kilsby. He graduated from John Tyler High School in 1974 and was an accomplished hardware salesman with Cameron Wholesale and HDW for many years. Mark and Rhonda met over 36 years ago at Friendly Baptist Church while doing bus ministry, and they were married there on March 14th, 1987. He loved working with children and youth and served at a number of churches, including Friendly Baptist, Iglesia Bautista Centro de Vida, Rose City Baptist, Trinity Baptist, as well as serving with the Child Evangelism Fellowship for many years. Known as “Brother Mark,” he was a member of the East Texas Court of Magic for over 25 years, and was a charter member of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians in Tyler. Brother Mark performed Christian Magic Shows and Clown & Balloon Acts across East Texas to bring smiles to audiences of all ages. Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard & Faye Kilsby and sister, Janice Brown. He is survived by his loving family including wife, Rhonda Kilsby; son, Joshua & his wife, Staci Kilsby; daughter, Lydia & her husband, Christopher Calder; grandchildren, Aadriana & David Kilsby, Oliver Calder & soon-to-be-born, Theodore Calder; father & mother-in-law, Earlon & Lillie Lee; sister & brother-in-law, Chris & Jason Millican; brother-in-law, Darrell Brown; sisters, Marie Alford, Marilyn Stampley, & Janice Desadier; brothers, Thurman & Melton Marr; step-daughter, Amy & her husband, Rex Ayers; and numerous other relatives & friends. Pallbearers will be Philip Pruitt, Paul Budd, Elmer Green, Nelson Hall, Mark Holcombe, Albert Lopez, David Gish, and Matthew Lee. Visitation is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Friday, August 25, 2023 at Stewart Family Funeral Home, 7525 Old Jacksonville Highway in Tyler.

Mark Leonard Kilsby

December 22, 1955 - August 17, 2023